Leader’s Guide for Miracles of Healing in the Gospel of Mark

By John I. Penn Sr.

The creation of this Leader’s Guide will be a welcomed addition to Miracles of Healing in the Gospel of Mark. The goal of the leader’s guide is to make this unique resource user friendly. It answers the many questions included in each of the sixteen Healing Moments and addresses new and controversial concepts. The leader’s guide also offers guidance to help the participants stay true to the material’s content in each of the Healing Moments.

In addition to this, the leader’s guide provides the resources and tools to equip leaders to help participants have a good experience and to get the most out of this unique study.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664253117

John I. Penn Sr.

Dr. John I. Penn is a retired ordained United Methodist minister. From 2002 to 2008, Dr. Penn served as the pastor of Simpson United Methodist Church in Wilmington, Delaware. Before coming to Simpson, Penn served seven-and-a-half years as the Director of Spiritual Formation and Healing at Upper Room Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee. As an ordained minis­ter, he has served several pastorates in the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference. He has served the church for thirty-five years. Penn has served in two cross-racial appointments as an associate pastor. Penn is a native of Roanoke, Virginia. He is the author of several books: Rediscovering Our Spiritual Gifts (Upper Room Books), a companion workbook for Dr. Charles Bryant’s book of the same title; Getting Well, A Study for Children about Spiritual and Physical Healing (originally published by Abingdon Press); Equipped to Serve, A Study for Children about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit; About Caring and Healing, An Activities and Coloring Book for Children; and Turning Mourning into Dancing, an Adult Coloring Book. Penn wrote this unique resource as a way to help him move through the grieving process of the death of his mother. She transitioned to be with the Lord on April 14, 2017. He has also written booklets for youth and children: What Everyone Should Know about Healing (Companion to About Caring and Healing); Understanding the Gifts of the Holy Spirit; and About the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Penn holds degrees from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (Bachelor of Science in Music Education), Oral Roberts University (Master of Theology), Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary [now Palmer Theological Seminary] (Master of Divinity), and Wesley Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry). He enjoys playing tennis, writing, composing music, reading, garden­ing, and listening to jazz. He is married to Gloria J. Parker Penn, the author of Miracles Still Happen. They have been blessed with six children (one deceased), ten grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-5312-4 (sc)

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WestBow Press rev. date: 12/17/2021

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Healing Moment One: The Healing Power of Jesus’ Words

Healing Moment Two: God’s Amazing Healing Grace

Healing Moment Three: Jesus Identifies with Human Brokenness

Healing Moment Four: The Healing Power of Forgiveness

Healing Moment Five: Healing is Always Lawful

Healing Moment Six: Jesus Empowers His Disciples to Heal

Healing Moment Seven: Jesus’ Power Knows No Bounds

Healing Moment Eight: A Faith That Would Not Be Denied

Healing Moment Nine: Jesus’ Supreme Power Over Death

Healing Moment Ten: Jesus’ Disciples As God’s Healers

Healing Moment Eleven: Healing Faith, Not Magic

Healing Moment Twelve: Persistent Healing Faith

Healing Moment Thirteen: God’s Healing Grace Includes Everyone

Healing Moment Fourteen: A Miracle That Required Two Attempts

Healing Moment Fifteen: Prayer, Not Human Power Overcomes Demons

Healing Moment Sixteen: Your Faith Has Made You Well

About the Author

Selected Bibliography

Endnotes

Foreword

T here is no doubt that the ministry of Jesus Christ included preaching, teaching and healing. The Gospels are filled with accounts of Jesus proclaiming that the Kingdom of God had come, teaching people how to live as citizens of this Kingdom (see the Sermon. On the Mount) and demonstrating the nature and power of God through miracles of healing and casting out demons.

Historically, the majority of churches in the 19th and 20th centuries were comfortable with the preaching and teaching ministry of Jesus. However, Christians who talked about ministry of physical and spiritual healing, or spiritual forces of darkness, or exorcism were considered to be out of touch with modern medicine, science and psychology. Prayers and practices related to the supernatural were replaced by pills, therapy and psychiatric institutions. This was not true for all Christian pastors and institutions— but many. Modernism took over much of the Christian consciousness in North America and Europe.

Now, in the 21st century, we are in a post-modern and post-Christian context. Relativism and individualism now dominate the world view of North America and Europe. Western popular culture is filled with books and movies about wizards like Harry Potter, zombies that roam the earth, or fictional lands at war with one another. At the same time, growing numbers of young adults identify themselves as spiritual but not religious, practice yoga and meditation, and have a greater openness to mystery, magic, and paranormal experiences.

Immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the churches were filled with Americans coming to pray. Within a few weeks, after no additional attacks, the fear of terror faded and church attendance in the USA returned to normal and has slowly declined from that day to the present. Today, the trend to abandon the Christian faith of parents and grandparents continues. Why? On the one hand power to heal and transform is rarely seen and celebrated—on the other hand, the call to follow Jesus and engage in his ministry has too many demands on the time and money of busy consumers actively engaged in the search for their own happiness.

The question today is this, Do the followers of Jesus have the same power to bring healing and transformation life today? Is there a difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the economically privileged world?

In Miracles of Healing in the Gospel of Mark and in this leader’s guide, John Penn, clearly answers this question. Like the original book, this leader’s guide is clear, theologically substantive, and spiritually rich with insight and invitation. Group leaders will find valuable insights to guide the sessions and significant questions to help everyone to engage the content of each chapter. The author clearly says that there is no single right answer— that is not the goal. The goal of this book is to guide the group experience with humility and substance, offering participants an opportunity to explore their ideas in the context of a prayerful and learning community.

This is a study and leader’s guide well worth the time and money. The preaching, teaching and healing ministry of Jesus re-presented to anyone interested in the Christian life today. This resource will help the leader and the group grow spiritually, intellectually, and relationally.

Rev. Thomas R. Albin (Tom)

Executive Director of the United Christian Ashrams International and Former Dean of the Chapel at the Upper Room in Nashville, Tennessee

Introduction

T he creation of this Leader’s Guide will be a welcomed addition to Miracles of Healing in the Gospel of Mark . It will provide the resources and tools to equip leaders to help participants have a valuable experience, get the most out of this unique study, and make this resource user-friendly. It will answer the questions included in each of the sixteen Healing Moments and address new and controversial concepts. It will also offer guidance to help the participants stay true to the material’s content in each of the Healing Moments. The leader’s guide includes a wealth of information and concepts that might be new and challenging.

I want to thank Tom Albin, the Former Dean of the Upper Room Chapel of Nashville, Tennessee, who, several years ago, suggested that I should write a leader’s guide for Miracles of Healing in the Gospel of Mark. Having taught the book in several Sunday school Bible studies and a Zoom Wednesday Bible study, I strongly agree that this leader’s guide will be a Godsend for those using the book to conduct a small group or a